Despina
by Chibis Unleashed
Summary: Despina is a tropical paradise world-wide, enjoying modern technology, beach volleyball, and surfing for entertainment and most are satisfied with that. But the underworld has never been the same since Lelouch took control of the mafia and Goku is not afraid of sharks. AU crossover one-shots including Code Geass, Saiyuki, X/1999, Final Fantasy 8, Legal Drug, and Petshop of Horrors.
1. Fuuma Hops in Kamui's Boat

This is a crossover fic set in an AU world we call Despina, written by a combined effort between Chibis Unleashed and KamuiWithFangs, beta'd by Fiona Rokkar. As of the writing/posting of this, the expected fandoms involved are from X/1999, Saiyuki, Final Fantasy 8, Petshop of Horrors, and Code Geass. The 'chapters' are a series of one-shots, not in chronological order, set in the world of Despina. The characters in a chapter will be included at the top along with the pairings, so if you want to target just your favorites and treat everyone else as OCs you don't care about, that should be relatively do-able.

This is just for fun. No profit, no ownership, just some amusing ideas and a fangirl's desire to see them written out. Enjoy~

Characters/pairings: KamuixFuuma from X/1999.

Notes: Despina's Fuuma is based on what we lovingly call Dork!Fuuma.

It was the stuff of the island's touristy postcards. White sand beaches, softly swaying palm trees, gulls softly calling overhead... The brilliant red sky was cloudless, save for a few wisps, and when it met the ocean below on the horizon, it practically glowed purple.

For Kamui, all it really meant was that he could spend more time on the deck of the _Magami_, as opposed to the living quarters. Nothing short of a hurricane and his job could convince him to leave his beloved fifty-foot floating house he "worked" so hard to own.

It literally paid to be observant. Especially when you lived on an island with a largely secret underground mafia that needed certain _things _conveniently disposed of. Kamui was just lucky the young man he met with matching purple eyes found it easier to buy his silence instead of create it. Really, it worked out for everyone. Kamui kept to the ocean as long and often as he could.

Since it _was_ a beautiful day, the beach was predictably populated. Jet skis whizzed by, there were a few recreational boats further out than his, and the white noise of human chatter mingled with the rolling waves. Not Kamui's ideal circumstances, but he never the less was out, on a plastic lounging chair with a book and cold drink he was sipping through a straw. The beauty was that no one cared. No one _bothered._ The _Magami _was his sanctuary of solitude, comfortable without being flashy, and he had the art of avoiding people down to a science.

From his laid back position, the violet eyed boy had the freedom of watching the world go by as he pleased and there was nothing better.

At least, that's what he'd always thought.

"Hey!" Came a strong, deep voice from the general vicinity of _the ocean, _"You awake up there?"

That... had sounded too close, too _directed _for Kamui to pass it off as some swimmer talking to his group of friends. Fortunately he was up high enough that the intruder hadn't seen the way he _jumped._

Kamui very reluctantly peered over the edge to locate the source of the voice.

"...Yes?"

As epically amazing, so all the magazines said, as Fuuma was at the sport of beach volleyball, he was spectacularly abysmal at surfing. He had been at it for several hours already and hadn't managed to stand on the board for more than 15 seconds before crashing back into the water. He'd been causing some of the most obnoxious splashing ever seen, drawing attention from all around, and it didn't hurt that he was _famous. _

The way he was now, ass planted firmly on the board with his legs curled around the edges, clinging desperately for stability, he was fine. If even one of those feet were drawn up on top of the board, though... he'd probably barrel roll right under the boat.

So what was he doing out here, in the extra deep water near all the bigger yachts?

"You've been out here longer than I have, and I haven't seen you do anything but lay there." His smile was warm and inviting, all honesty and good humor, "I was starting to worry a little."

The red on Kamui's face could not possibly have been interpreted as a trick of the sunlight. There was double mortification to be had here. Not only had he caught the attention of a handsome looking guy that didn't _understand_, but that handsome looking guy was ….

Fuuma something, right? Kamui knew he was a renowned athlete, and may have been guilty of watching more than a few games from the water despite not giving a damn about volleyball, or _any _sports really.

How could he have possibly missed someone like that watching_ him_?

"...M'fine. Nothing to worry about."

Fuuma's smile widened, "That's good," and then he shrugged one shoulder and it turned sheepish, "At first I thought you were partying out here, but then I didn't see anyone else come out on deck. So then I thought you were sun tanning, but after all this time you'd be burnt and instead you're prettily pale, so that couldn't be it. And then I thought you might be fishing, but now that I'm close, I don't see any fishing gear at all. So I thought you might've fallen asleep up there, but you didn't. You're not doing anything that people out here would normally be doing."

He sat up straighter on his board and squared his shoulders in one fluid, probably entirely unconscious movement, his confidence taking on a bold edge when he continued, "All that's left, is that you're just a very different person from everybody else out here, and I think I'd like to get to know you."

...That entire speech in less than three minutes was about as much socialization as Kamui usually had in a normal _week. _He was left blinking at muscled athlete, trying to process so much information given to him by a stranger. That _wasn't _about boats.

"Um," the shorter male scratched his cheek. Where did he even _begin _with that?... "There's not much to tell. I just... This is where I live."

Fuuma's smile slipped into confusion for a moment, and then he was laughing, "You live on a _boat? _That's... kind of cool, actually. Now that you say it, I'm surprised more people in Despina don't." He nodded at the ladder on the back of the _Magami _and asked, "So can I join you?"

"...You want to live with me?..."

Fuuma raised an inquisitive eyebrow and smirked, "That's awfully forward of you." but then he shook his head and smiled again, "I just meant, can I come up on deck?"

"Oh..." Because Kamui hadn't blushed enough today. Feeling anxious, he ran his fingers through his hair, as if that would quell the embarrassment, and eyed the ladder that allowed entry into his solitude. The only other person that had been on the _Magami _besides him was the man who sold it to him. The idea of having company over was something Kamui hadn't considered. Ever. He came to the water to _escape _people.

...But then again. He wasn't exactly running from Fuuma right now, as much as he was wondering if he should be.

"I guess so."

Fuuma didn't bother to wonder about the hesitation; he figured it was because he'd shown up unannounced. Paddling over with all the anxiety of a person who could not be certain their board would stay under them, the professional athlete made it to the ladder and climbed on up.

"Man, you know..." He started as he leaned his board against the side of the deck, "Surfing is supposed to be fun, but it is _a lot _of work."

This was so... strange. Kamui didn't know how to behave. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his short-sleeved hoodie, concealing their fidgeting, and he couldn't seem to maintain eye contact for more than five seconds at a time. Fuuma was a good-looking guy. A _famous _good-looking guy, and maybe if he had more... _feeling _for humanity, he would have viewed this as a life-changing opportunity.

For the moment, all he could do was fumble with small talk.

"Y-yeah... I've never done it before."

"Really? I thought everyone in Despina had tried at least once." Fuuma slid down into one of the available seats lining the edge of the deck and rested his arms against the railing behind him, "You should go for it. I'm sure you'd be better than me." His expression took on a dissatisfied edge as he looked out over the water... and everyone who was successfully surfing already, "I think _everyone _isbetter than me."

Kamui truly envied how at ease Fuuma was, like it was common practice for him to hop on a stranger's boat and shoot the breeze. And for all he knew, it _was. _

"Not really my thing."

Fuuma turned back to him with surprise, "How do you know if you've never done it before?"

"I'm not an athletic person."

A nod, and then, "So what do you do for fun?"

Kamui turned toward the water, looking out at the half of the ocean that wasn't littered with people. It made him relax marginally. "I come here."

Fuuma was silent for a while, studying the distant view and how Kamui looked against it with his short, fine hair floating in the wind and his thin frame wrapped in the warmth of the hoodie, all quiet and calm and beautiful.

But he was an athlete; his entire life was in flux at all times. He was always training harder, working faster, doing everything in his ability to do _more. _Relaxation for Fuuma was trying out a sport he didn't participate in for money. He didn't slow down much, and when he did it never lasted long. The idea of spending every day on a boat staring out at the sea and actually _enjoying _it... was entirely foreign.

Finally he spoke, voice soft but loud enough to be heard over the ambient sounds of the waves and idle chatter all around them, "I don't understand." He took his eyes off of the water and focused them on Kamui, who was just so _different _from everyone else he knew. It was like finding an unmarked door you had never noticed before in a hallway you had walked down every day of your life. He wanted to know what was there; wanted to know if maybe, this entire time, he'd been missing out on something amazing.

"But I want to."

Kamui had expected Fuuma's first three words; he'd heard them many times. It was part of what drove him out on his own in the first place. What made his breath catch, and finally turn back around to slowly face the other man, were his last four.

…. Violet eyes held golden ones for at least a solid minute before Kamui could utter another word.

"...Why?"

"You're different," Fuuma seemed to struggle with his words for a moment, before he continued, "You're _new. _I've never met someone like you before. Maybe I just haven't been looking in the right places, but... Now that I've found you," His sheepish little smile was back for another round, "Why would I want to pass you up?"

Kamui tilted his head, feeling his cheeks prickle all over again. With Fuuma's reputation, he no doubt met _thousands _of people on a weekly basis. Thousands of different personalities with their own flaws and quirks. What appeal did a quiet, introverted man like himself possibly have? It, ...like the entirety of this encounter, was strange. For once, _he _was the one who didn't understand, and it wasn't out of general exasperation.

"I guess I mean... why are you looking for something different? Are you bored?"

Fuuma laughed, "I don't know what bored is like! Unless it's anything like tired; I'm very familiar with tired." Tilting his head to the side, the athlete looked Kamui over once more, "Why do you keep asking?"

"I-.. It's just... weird. No one's really ever been interested in talking to me because I'm "different". That's usually what keeps people away. And I don't really see what's so ...intriguing about a guy spending time on a boat on a nice day."

Fuuma raised an eyebrow and his tone spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "But you don't spend time on a boat when it's a _nice day. _You're on this boat when it rains, you're on this boat when the wind's too strong, you're on this boat when it's completely overcast. You _live _on a _boat._"

Suddenly his brows furrowed in confusion, "Why are you fighting this so hard?" but then they relaxed as his expression turned worried, and he leaned forward in his seat to ask, "Is it that you want me to leave?..."

"No!" The answer came out before Kamui could help himself, but what was _more _embarrassing was the way his hand shot out of his pocket as if he had a chance of physically stopping Fuuma from going _anywhere_.

Nevermind the man was still firmly planted on the deck chair.

Frustrated, Kamui instead employed the hand to tousle his own hair, pacing a few steps forward and back. Maybe he _was_ fighting this, but it was partly because he didn't know what else to _say. _He'd seen Fuuma play sports, but knew nothing _about _them to really commentate on his performance. ….Except that it did great things for his body. Other than that, what was a common thread between them?

When the answer hit Kamui, it seemed rather obvious.

"Would you... like a tour?"

Throughout Kamui's... _performance, _Fuuma's expression had gone from shocked to charmed to concerned and back to shocked. But he still hadn't moved from his seat, and so when the offer came, he answered it with a pleased smile, "Sure. Whatever you'd like to show me." and then a small confession, "You're cute when you're frustrated, you know."

….

Kamui was surprised he wasn't _dizzy _from the sheer amount of blood that had gone to his face in such a short amount of time. Not knowing the proper way to respond, he just started walking towards the wooden door that lead to his living space, and hoped his normal color returned soon.

"Follow me."

But it wouldn't. Showing someone he just met a glimpse of his private life was actually a bit _intimate_ for Kamui, and the way Fuuma seemed so enamored with what he saw, what he learned, what he _felt _in each room...

It wasn't without benefit. For as much as Kamui opened up, Fuuma responded in kind, and in spite of the _Magami _only having six modest rooms, the tour ended up taking well over an hour. Because Fuuma was talking to him and Kamui had began feeling comfortable enough to talk _back_.

"Want something to drink?" Kamui asked when they were making their way back past the small kitchen, en route to the deck. He probably should have offered that in the _ beginning _of the tour, as opposed to the end, but never had the shorter boy claimed that he was a good host. Or a host ever.

Fuuma shook his head and answered with a disappointed tone, "I probably shouldn't. I'm unstable on that board as it is, and Goku's gotta be wondering if I'm _ever _planning to come back by now."

The disappointment in Fuuma's voice was reflected subtly in Kamui's expression.

"You're leaving then?"

"I should, soon," He rubbed the back of his neck and looked out at the ocean through one of the small windows on the outside wall of the boat, "It's almost dark by now and I have to swim to shore. 'Sides," He continued with a cheeky smile, "if I stick around here too long, the media'll wheedle out of Goku where I've gone and the paparazzi, at least the portion that cares about sports, will never leave you alone."

Kamui could deal with the getting Fuuma to shore part, no problem. He could _not _deal with the thought of paparazzi, however, and walked up to the golden eyed man to push his hands gently against an impeccably toned chest.

"You need to go."

Fuuma laughed, even as he obligingly took a step backward toward the door behind him, "Even if I don't really want to?"

Kamui pouted. Okay, he liked Fuuma but he wasn't about to ruin his little sanctuary away from the world for him. It was _important. _

"Then next time make sure you can't be traced back here."

Fuuma wasn't in the habit of lying to himself, so, being completely _honest _with himself, he liked the idea of having a little getaway where the world (probably) couldn't find him. Especially if it was a place with someone as adorably interesting as Kamui. So he brought one hand up and gave a mock salute, "Yes, sir. I'll wear a hat and some of those glasses with the fake nose and mustache. No one will be able to tell it's me." before he winked and turned to head outside.

"Yes, including me," Kamui was trailing right behind, to make _sure _he got off the _Magami _as stealthily as possible, "I may just push you back into the water for that."

Fuuma laughed again as he retrieved his board, "Alright, so I won't wear the hat." He made it to the first step on the ladder before he paused and looked back up at his host, "...Just to be sure, that _was _an open invite to come back, wasn't it?"

"Y-yes..." This time, when Kamui's face glowed, he didn't mind it so much, but his voice did get softer, "I would like that."

"I would, too," Fuuma's smile widened, and then he was lowering himself back into the water. After his third try, he managed to get on top of his board and slowly sat up so he could wave to Kamui, "Hey, think I'll be able to surf to shore?"

Finally breaking into a full smile, Kamui regrettably shook his head. "Not a chance."

The way Kamui was now, with his brilliant smile and adorable blush against the backdrop of a sky quickly fading into darkness and a dim moon, made it so Fuuma couldn't help but say what he was thinking, "You look beautiful like that."

It was probably the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to Kamui, but...

But Fuuma was stalling. And Kamui was in no position to be dealing with flirting so soon. His head was still spinning as it was. Heaving a little sigh, Kamui waved down at the surfer-in-much-needed-training.

"Until next time, Fuuma."


	2. How Kamui Earned His Houseboat

Characters: Lelouch from Code Geass, Kamui from X/1999.

Lelouch, personally, didn't see what the big deal was.

Perhaps it was his upbringing as a child, where chores were always immediately outsourced to the hired help, that left him less bothered with mundane tasks like _cleaning. _He knew that if he _didn't _love being a capable person who could wash a dish, sew a button, or vacuum a floor, he would have moved back in with his parents years ago. But that obviously wasn't the case.

Of course, _this _was a little more delicate than vacuuming a floor.

Sanzo had done a number on the poor bastards. Hakkai was still at the warehouse taking care of the other half of the negotiations 'gone awry' while Lelouch volunteered to dispose of the physical evidence himself. Dear Sanzo was excellent at his job but absolutely hated dealing with the aftermath, so the bodyguard's assistance only went so far as to load the cargo and wait for his charge to return to shore.

Lelouch had no problem taking the small yacht out for a quick spin on the ocean at two in the morning. The sharks needed to eat too, after all.

It wasn't until he'd rolled the last one off the edge that the young mob leader realized he should have been paying less attention to the diet of the aquatic life, and more attention to his surroundings.

His wasn't the only boat in the water.

It was small, either a canoe or rowboat, but the human figure was unmistakable in the moonlight.

Hm.

Lelouch's first thought was that the sharks could always be fatter. But that wasn't fair. It was a policy of his to at least _know _his enemy before destroying them, and he really didn't _want _more blood on his hands (for Suzaku's sake). It was just necessary sometimes...

Now did not have to be one of those times. Lelouch brushed off his hands and went to fetch some rope.

Twenty minutes later, he was on the docks with the young man he'd _insisted _on towing back in (there hadn't been a choice in the matter), his hand extended politely.

They shook, but no names were exchanged right away. Lelouch got to the point.

"How much did you see?"

"Enough."

"A better question would be, how much do you _know?_ You aren't exactly running for help."

He shrugged, hands in his pockets, "Well, there aren't exactly a ton of organizations in Despina that would be dumping bodies in the ocean, so I think I know who you work for, and ten minutes ago I was a couple hundred feet out from shore where running would have been hilariously ineffective. Besides," He looked up then, and two pairs of violet eyes met, "I'm sure you're a good enough shot to nail me in the back if I tried, now."

Whoever this guy was, Lelouch decided he liked him.

"Clever. But unless I take that shot tonight, I have no guarantee you won't seek help later."

"Well, except that I haven't sought help _before." _

….Wait, what?

"What do you mean "before"?"

His expression clearly read confused, before it morphed into suspicious, "You don't mean that _this_ is the first time you've seen me? Because this _isn't _the first time I've seen _you." _

Lelouch frowned. Oblivious was something he could not afford to be. How could he have possibly missed a repeat spectator? The aquatic life really wasn't _that _distracting.

"In that case, why _haven't _you sought the authorities?"

Another shrug, "Didn't think it was really any of my business. Anybody _you're _dumping was probably asking for it, or at least wasn't innocent. And the cops would just harass me for more information than I have, probably accuse me of being involved or something. It didn't seem worth it, yet."

Yes, Lelouch definitely liked this one. He smirked and placed a hand on his hip.

"Well then, we'll just have to keep it that way, won't we?"

"...What do you mean by that?"

"It can mean a number of things," the mafia boss explained with a dramatic wave of his hand, "What would you _like _it to mean?"

He was silent for a long moment, intently watching him...

And then he nodded, "Money. Buy my silence. I'm tired of stargazing from a glorified canoe."

Lelouch laughed. Was that all? Somehow he was charmed by the exemplary instance of human greed.

"Consider it done. But first I'll need your name."

"It's Kamui. Kamui Shirou."

For once, Lelouch's smile was sincere as he reached inside of his tailored, miraculously _white, _bolero jacket for his checkbook.

"A pleasure to meet you, Kamui Shirou."


	3. How Lelouch Joined the Mob

Characters: Lelouch from Code Geass

Now, honestly, he'd only been out to get a little more spending money for the month. He really _hadn't _been looking for trouble.

But trouble _always _found him.

Which meant that Lelouch was now surrounded on all sides by the biggest, bulkiest men he'd ever seen, all wearing identical expressions of threatening anger. Their suits were custom made, of moderate quality, the fabric barely managing to wrap all the way around their biceps and thighs, which was probably supposed to be intimidating, except that the poor taste in fashion only managed to be an eyesore. Lelouch faced them with a mask of cool indifference. It was all he could do to keep from making any comments about how they needed a better seamstress, or managing coordinator, or both.

"Lelouch Lamperouge?" The man directly in front of him asked. Except it wasn't really a question; more like an accusation.

"Yes?" And so Lelouch mocked him with another faux question.

The nameless security personnel shifted, shouting through his body language that he knew he was being played with and didn't like it, "You'll be coming with us."

That only made Lelouch smirk, "Might I ask why?"

"For cheating."

The smirk was gone. Lelouch played games, yes, but he also maintained a certain, _strict _level of pride and it did not allow for something so mundane and… _easy _as cheating. "I have done no such thing!"

"Doesn't matter what you say to me," The man tilted his head toward the back of the casino floor, then turned and motioned for Lelouch to follow, "It's the boss who's gonna sort all this out."

They didn't even wait to see if Lelouch _would _follow, instead closing in around him on all sides. The meatiest, most _barbarian _hands Lelouch had _ever _had the displeasure of knowing locked around his arms like a vice-grip made of sausage and he shuddered at the nasty feeling of being pawed at by hotdogs. They forced him through the crowd, across the floor to back rooms nobody would notice unless they'd been looking for them. Lelouch had, in fact, looked for them when he had first picked this casino to work. He had also hoped never to be dragged into them like this.

There was a card table near the door, well-worn but stylish, made of a beautiful wood and carved to perfection. They walked around it to a desk in the back, just as exquisitely made, polished to a shine. The carpeting was lush, the colors of the walls and ceiling warm and almost inviting. Collectibles lined the walls, giving the place a very home-like feeling. Playing cards here, for the highest of stakes, would have been _wonderful. _

It was impossible that the same man who put this office together had also chosen the security staff's uniform. _Impossible. _

The man behind the desk removed the reading glasses he'd been wearing to examine forms and set them to the side, turning in his chair to look Lelouch over from head to whatever-he-could-see-over-the-desk and back again. He was older, but had a strong body. It would be believable if he claimed the gray hair cut short on his head was dyed, and not naturally so silver. But hair color didn't matter nearly as much to Lelouch as the dice nestled in a cup at the edge of the desk, or the pack of cards sitting up in the shallow drawer left open just under the lip of the wood, or, especially, the silver coin, large and prominent but worn to a dull silver with use, too many touches from uncovered fingers without being cleaned again, that lay, leaning against the stand for a ridiculously extravagant pen. It was probably true that it took a gambler at heart to run a good gambling establishment, but some were more addicted than others.

"You've been stealing from me." The Boss said, tone leaving no room for argument, but easy and relaxed, as if the argument was over what _time _it was, not the casino's potential revenue loss.

Lelouch carefully schooled his voice to match, "I have not."

"That's what cheating is."

"Hmph!" Hands on his hips, Lelouch stood a little straighter, body confident and pride rolling off of him in _waves. _His eyes were cold, but they held a challenge, _daring _the casino owner to accuse him of being anything less than he knew himself to be, "I would never allow myself to degrade into the kind of simpleton who required something as base as _cheating _to win."

"Oh?" The boss, who was being rather unfair, in Lelouch's opinion, by not giving his _name, _seemed entirely unruffled by Lelouch's boldness. He seemed interested, and that's exactly what Lelouch wanted him to be, "Why should I believe you're anything more than a card counting crook?"

He couldn't have phrased that any better. Lelouch felt this exchange lay itself neatly into place, taking the shape of a _plan, _and now all he had to do was play out the end of it.

"I'll just have to prove it to you," Lelouch smirked, walking over to the desk and placing one carefully elegant hand against it and leaning in, "Let's play a game where I can't possibly cheat, _Chess. _Your security can even watch me to make sure I don't do anything out of line."

Lelouch removed his hand from the desk and dug into the cup at the edge for two six-sided dice, "And you're a gambling man, aren't you? So let's put a wager on the game. If you win, I'll forfeit all of my winnings from the day, walk out of this establishment, and never return. However, if _I _win, I'll not only keep my winnings, but I'll own a share in the company."

He tipped his hand, letting the dice roll out of his grip and onto the table, tumbling a short distance before they settled. Of course. A seven.

"That's fair, isn't it?"

Although he hadn't quite known it, then…

That was how Lelouch Lamperouge joined the mob.


	4. How Lelouch Acquired Some Valuable Allie

Characters: Sanzo and Hakkai from Saiyuki.

Friday night. Eight pm. Seifer's hole in the wall of a bar was teeming blue collar and white collar folks alike, all eager for the weekend, all ready to forget the week.

Sanzo sat at their usual table in the back. Hakkai was on the piano.

An hour and a half later, Hakkai joined him. Sanzo was only halfway through his first beer.

"So I was thinking," the pianist started after a swig of his own drink, smiling, "about the new boss."

"Hn?"

"I like him."

...

Sanzo looked at his beer. Half full.

"...Yeah."


	5. The Bet

Characters: Sanzo and Hakkai from Saiyuki, LelouchxSuzaku from Code Geass, Fuujin from Final Fantasy 8, and Goku, Gojyo, and Seifer in the background. And one OC asshole.

Warning: Crack. Lots of fruity crack.

The Round Table was fairly busy that night. Hakkai sat near the back at their usual table, lights dimmed, menus closed, Sanzo doing his best imitation of Hating the World at his side. It was their usual hang out, as it was for half of the city, but tonight was the first night Lelouch had been invited to join them. As far as they knew, the new boss had never been in the bar before, so this was an initiation of sorts.

Hakkai didn't think too hard about the logic of 'underlings' 'initiating' the new 'boss,' because the mafia hadn't worked quite the same way since Lelouch got in and that, in Hakkai's humble opinion, was a good thing.

"So," Hakkai began, sliding a menu around on the table and looking at the name scrawled in a lazy hand across the top, "Seifer has a rather unique menu for a bar. What do you suppose he'll drink?"

"Che," Sanzo tapped his cigarette against the glass ashtray, not quite as irritated as he sounded about spending time with his boss during his 'off' hours. If being a bodyguard could be considered to _have _off hours, "Only something as fruity as he is."

Hakkai smiled, and that was all he would do to agree. He didn't want to encourage that kind of behavior, after all. "I think," The pianist continued slowly, "that he will go straight for the wine list."

Sanzo looked at Hakkai lamely. "Well that _would _be where all the fruit is. But I'll bet the pretty princess gets his first round from some drunk asshole."

Hakkai looked over at his friend, studying him for a long moment. What was the likelihood that someone would notice Lelouch that quickly?

...Very high.

What was the likelihood they would venture to buy him a drink before the waitress had a chance to get to them?

Hakkai set his drink down on the table and sat up a little straighter, "I'll take that bet."

"Yeah?" Sanzo smirked, always loving a good challenge. Although he wasn't sure how "good" this one was. He remembered how quickly _he _was sent a drink from some drunk asshole when he first started frequenting the Round Table. According to _some, _the blond possessed a few... effeminate features (and he was pretty sure he punched a good majority of those "some"), but Lelouch? ….Sanzo felt damn secure in his masculinity around Lelouch. Skinny fucker put men and women alike to shame. "If I'm right, you're doing my next clean up."

The hit man nodded. That was fair. Sanzo hated clean up. Now all Hakkai needed was something else Sanzo might hate just as much to wager on his end. "And if I'm right..." Hakkai scanned the bar, searching for ideas. Something silly like 'wearing a dress' would not actually happen, even if he won, because Sanzo would shoot whoever brought the clothing to him, so dignity was a rather important factor...

But Hakkai's amusement was important, too. His eyes landed on the bar, and gossip from Seifer came to mind. Perfect. "And if I win, you have to take their surf lessons until you successfully catch and ride a wave."

"The fuck?" Sanzo ...always knew Hakkai was a strange man. Really, if he considered the pianist's personality, the random wager probably wouldn't seem so random.

…..But surfing? _Sanzo? _"Where the fuck did _that _come from? And _whose_ surf lessons?"

Hakkai nodded toward the bar, at the two tenders dancing back and forth with colorful bottles, syrups, and fruit on demand, "They're surfers. They teach during the day. Supposedly, they're tournament worthy. Who better to learn from?" The first question was politely ignored.

Sanzo followed Hakkai's gaze. Yeah, he'd seen the two bartenders before and most of the time they were pretty damn obnoxious, but they knew how to do their jobs.

Problem was, why should Sanzo give a flying fuck what they did during the day?

"And why the hell do I need to learn how to surf again?"

Hakkai smiled, "Why do I need to do _your _clean up? You're capable, aren't you?"

Sanzo slammed a hand on the table. "At least that's fucking practical! And it'll take a hell of a lot less time to do than learn a fucking sport I have no use for!"

The pianist shrugged, smiling even wider, "Then you had better be right."

"You're an ass, Hakkai." Unfortunately, Sanzo knew there was no reasoning with him. So he took that as his cue to down his drink and wait for Lelouch to show his pretty face. "Fuck it. Bring it on."

Hakkai's smile did not morph into a grin, but if he had been any less of a man, it would have.

Almost as if he _knew _he was being talked about, Lelouch strode through the front door looking impeccably casual, as only the young mafia head could. He glanced around before grabbing the attention of a familiar green eyed blond that ran the place, who kindly pointed him in the direction of their table.

Sanzo immediately started looking around for anyone looking at Lelouch. Only _half _out of habit from his job.

"Good evening gentlemen. I hope I didn't keep you waiting." Lelouch was ever so polite when he pulled out a chair and sat himself down, but Sanzo and Hakkai knew better. Lelouch _knew _they knew better, but Sanzo wasn't the only one acting out of habit.

"We'd be here whether you showed or not," the bodyguard shrugged.

"It _is _a good evening, Lelouch," Hakkai was infinitely more polite than the bodyguard beside him, "and it hardly felt like waiting at all. Care for a drink?" Nevermind their bet; he would have offered anyway.

Lelouch completely missed the way Sanzo's eyebrow twitched at Hakkai's strategic hospitality. That bastard.

"Oh that depends. What does the wine list look like?"

Sanzo slid a menu over to Lelouch. Slowly. Giving that much more time to any hopeful on-lookers. "Dunno if it'll meet your ritsy tastes."

Hakkai's eyes followed the menu as it took five times longer than it should have to reach Lelouch's waiting hands. He could play this game. "Oh, I'm sure you'll find _something _suitable."

"If not, I'm sure Seifer can get you something fruity enough." If it wasn't wine or wasn't from a drunk asshole, _neither _of them won, and Sanzo was okay with that too.

But he probably should have thought that last statement over, because Lelouch stopped scanning the wine list to give him a _look._

"_Fruity?_"

…. Well shit.

"Or not fruity."

….

"...What? Wine's made from fucking fruit. Chill the fuck out."

Hakkai would not laugh. Hakkai would not laugh. Hakkai would _not _laugh. Hakkai would not even _chuckle. _He would just smile, like he always smiled, and miraculously manage _not _pissing Lelouch off, while cheerfully winning this bet.

"What he means is," Hakkai leaned forward and helpfully pointed to the list in front of their boss, "that the blackberry and raspberry wines are particularly sweet and delicious. The blackberry is my favorite."

Lelouch at least seemed appeased at that point and returned to the list.

"Blackberry, hm? That does sound interesting."

'_Fuck you, Hakkai.' _The message was loud and clear in Sanzo's glare despite the fact that he'd just been saved from the princess getting all prissy. That didn't matter as much as being saved from utterly pointless _surf _lessons. He just needed to stall a little longer to get _someone _to buy the pretty boy a drink.

"Strawberry's better."

"Oh!" Hakkai flawlessly feigned interest that might not have been feigned at all. It was hard to tell with Hakkai, "I haven't tried that one. Perhaps we should both get a glass?"

Sanzo's last attempt of a "Don't take my word for it" came out at the same time as Lelouch's "That sounds wonderful" and the blond knew he was fucked. Lelouch was even laughing as he closed the menu and leaned back in his chair.

"That should be fine to start with. I can't think on it properly with your_ generous _recommendations coming at me from both sides."

God dammit all to Hell. Sanzo resentfully snatched up his pack of Malboros and lit up another one.

"Stare at the list all you want. Who knows when the waitress will come back around." Because it was a fucking busy night and why the _hell _had no one bought a drink for Lelouch yet? Sanzo caught at least four lookers. Just his luck that none of them had any balls. Or extra money.

Hakkai silently, respectfully, but _insistently _raised his hand to call their waitress over. That wasn't cheating, right?

That was totally fucking cheating.

The young, silver haired waitress with a stern look and an eyepatch was at their table _suspiciously _fast, and Sanzo had to wonder when Hakkai had the time to conspire with Seifer on this one.

"DRINK?" she demanded, more than asked.

"Two glasses of your strawberry wine. Please," Lelouch requested, taking the straightforwardness of the waitress in stride. While she was there, Sanzo ordered a refill for himself as well, and then she was off, much to the bodyguard's dismay. Shit, he should have ordered something really complicated.

Hakkai calmly sat, patiently waiting out his win. He wished there was a way to show off Lelouch's ring finger that wasn't grabbing his boss' arm and waving it in the air for him, but that simply couldn't be helped. There was nothing more he could do, but hope Fuujin knew exactly where the strawberry wine was in the cupboard.

"So, Lelouch," The hit man figured small talk wouldn't hurt, and could only help distract their boss from the bet he may or may not have already noticed was happening around him, "may I ask what you might have been up to all day?"

"Oh nothing good." Funny that the boss had the sweetest smile on his face when he said that. "Suffice to say that I may have your next assignment lined up for you. But I don't think any of us want to discuss business right now."

Not that they rightly _could_ because, holy hell, Fuujin was already making her way back to the table. With a tray that didn't magically have a fourth glass. _Fuuuuuck_, was Sanzo's predominating thought. His only hope was that someone had the balls of a rhino to cut Fuujin off and take a drink to Lelouch himself.

But there was only one other that Sanzo could see heading in their direction, and he was neither drunk, nor an asshole. Lelouch noticed him too.

"I hope you don't mind that I invited my husband to join us."

Sanzo wondered if he'd miss the chunk of his paycheck if he just ordered the whole bottle of whiskey. He wasn't allowed to be _this _fucking unlucky while _sober. _

When Suzaku reached their table, easily able to spot his husband in a crowd, he clamped a hand on Lelouch's shoulder and pulled him back for a quick, chaste kiss before sliding into the seat next to him, "Sanzo, Hakkai, it's good to see you again."

Hakkai smiled and pretended it was in greeting, and not smug celebration as Fuujin set the glass of wine down in front of their boss. Sweet victory. Suzaku had even managed to flaunt Lelouch's taken status for him, too.

"I'm glad to see you well," Hakkai held his hand out for a shake, and it was taken in a strong grip. He then immediately turned on Sanzo and held up his glass for a toast, "To surfing?"

Sanzo promptly ignored Hakkai and downed the drink Fuujin had only just delivered to him. He had one particular finger sticking out when he did it too.

"Surfing?" Lelouch had to ask after scooting his chair close enough to Suzaku so he could have a hand on his thigh, "I think I'm missing something here."

Hakkai cheerfully ignored his long-time friend and answered their boss, "Sanzo's going to take up lessons."

….What?

Lelouch blinked, for once at a loss, and Sanzo valiantly resisted the urge to twitch yet again. He was definitely mourning his empty glass. Usually Hakkai didn't care to flaunt his victories, but Sanzo was just ever so _touched _he wanted to share this moment with their boss. Fan-fucking-tastic.

"I never would have thought you were the surfing type, Sanzo." Lelouch was almost _insulted _that his usually flawless judge of character was off.

"Like hell I am."

Before any more commentary could take place, however, Fuujin returned out of the blue. Sadly, she wasn't carrying a merciful refill for Sanzo. ….But the soon-to-be surfing student nearly flipped the table when it became clear what she _was _doing.

Son of a bitch.

"FROM HIM," she pointed vaguely at the bar as she set the very _fruity _looking appletini down in front of Lelouch. Complete with a note. And then she was gone again.

The youngest of the group was not used to being so confused all at once. At least he had his henchmen with him if this was some kind of attempt on his life. He reached for the note and read it aloud.

"'Ditch the short guy. Come drink with me'..."

"Ditch the..." Suzaku repeated slowly, almost uncertain he had heard that right, "the _short guy?" _Whirling around in his chair, Suzaku scanned the bar, malicious intent flaring in his eyes, "Which one was it, again? I have a fist that wants to meet his face."

"Well if _that _doesn't sound like our wedding all over again," Lelouch laughed. Which meant he would have adored it if Suzaku knocked some sense into the very _forward _gentlemen at the bar, much like he had Lelouch's half-brother. He loved that his husband wasn't a pushover. Even to _him. _"We can figure this out easily."

Lelouch turned and raised the appletini in the air, watching with a growing smirk when it was reciprocated by a buff blond in an unbuttoned floral shirt and khaki shorts. Ugh. So not his type.

Sanzo would have at least appreciated the guy's presence _five minutes ago. _

Suzaku reached up and snatched the drink out of Lelouch's hand, immediately taking a sip and setting it on the table, "Eh. Not really my thing, but not so bad." Four drinks; four people. It only made sense. And had the added bonus of saying a silent, 'Fuck you' to the guy who had wanted Lelouch to drink it.

The intended target of said drink was only charmed even _more _having it stolen from him and the message it sent. Lelouch leaned over to kiss his officer, lingering there just enough to get a taste of his lips.

"Mm. You're right. Not bad, but we can do better. What would you like me to get you?"

Suzaku smiled, a playful little smirk, "Why bother asking when you know what I like?"

Lelouch liked that answer, he knew that much.

"I'll return shortly then." He took one sip of his wine before standing and heading back to where that green eyed blast from his past he'd seen on his way in was standing.

Suzaku watched him go, then turned back to Hakkai and specifically Sanzo, "So if you're not the surfing type, why are you taking lessons?"

….

Because that was exactly what Sanzo wanted to go over again. Fuck that.

"Gee Hakkai, why don't _you _field that one?"

"Sure," Hakkai sipped his wine, smiled, and turned to Suzaku, "He lost a bet."

Suzaku laughed, utterly unafraid of the repercussions Sanzo's hurt ego might bring, and leaned forward to ask conspiratorially, "Are you selling tickets to the event?"

Hakkai leaned forward in kind, "Under the table, of course. Should I be saving you a seat?"

"I can hear you," Sanzo interjected, reaching over to swipe the abandoned appletini. No reason to waste perfectly good alcohol, "And I will shoot you both."

"Through and through in the left bicep, and I won't press charges," Suzaku tapped his arm, showing Sanzo exactly where to aim, but just then a loud whistle from the bar made him abandon the conversation and turn around.

The whistle was obviously from the platinum blond Lelouch had been headed toward, since he was now gesturing subtly at his husband, who had a whole lot of floral and khaki far too close to him for comfort. Shit.

"Please excuse me," Suzaku threw over his shoulder at his seated companions, leaving them to their drinks as he went to deal with six full feet of Island Asshole.

….That suited Sanzo just fine too. He mentally thanked Seifer for the distraction and watched the scene at the bar unfold.

It really _was_ just like Suzaku and Lelouch's wedding.

"Next time," Sanzo concluded to his friend as the floral and khaki man went down with a sharp right hook, "We're taking bets on how fast Suzaku _decks _a drunk asshole."


	6. Surf Lessons

Characters: GokuxSanzo and a little bit of Gojyo and Hakkai from Saiyuki, and a little bit of Fuuma from X/1999.

Notes: So full of crack it should be illegal.

Boards were laid out on the sand, flat and scattered to give everyone enough room between them to fall flat on their ass and not knock anybody else over with them.

Smart planning on the instructor's part, since there weren't too many here for lessons this morning. It was a group of five, and four of them were bikini-clad ladies paying more attention to their swimsuits than the surf boards.

Which left Sanzo, in his black swimming trunks and an unbuttoned beach shirt, already pissed the fuck off. He was positive Hakkai was loving this already from where he was _leisurely _sunbathing close by. Why the _hell _did Lelouch not have anything for the bastard to do today? Surely _someone_ needed to die.

Goku checked the watch on his wrist, then began waving in the air to get everyone's attention, "Alright, lessons start now! Anyone serious about surfing, follow me. Anyone here to flirt, Gojyo's over there!" He pointed to his right at the redhead a few feet away.

Sanzo raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Why, does he suck at surfing?"

A smile twinkled in Goku's eyes, but then he was feigning uncertainty, failing to make eye contact and slowly shrugging his shoulders, "Well, _I _think so, but..."

"Fuck you, monkey!" The shout from Gojyo cut him off, and an obscene finger came up to greet them, "My surfing's just so awesome your simian brain can't handle it!"

"Oh?" All hints of reservation gone, Goku turned and stuck his tongue out at the roach, "Is that why _I'm _the local reigning champ?"

Oh fuck him, they were even _louder_ out on the beach than in the bar. Sanzo rubbed at his forehead, anticipating the headache, and immediately dug out his pack of cigarettes stashed in the pocket of his trunks. He lit up without a second thought since this was probably going to _take a while. _

"Uh," Goku scratched his cheek nervously, then absently gestured at Sanzo's pocket, "You got a better place to keep those? Left there, they'll get crushed, and if not, soaked when you get in the water."

Well. At least the brat wasn't asking him to put it out or anything. Sanzo took out the cigarettes and lighter, turned around, and chucked the two items in Hakkai's direction.

Hakkai was all too cheerfully waiting for it. He _caught _the lighter, but had to reach for the box. Never the less, the sunbathing hitman remained irritatingly pleasant when he reassured Sanzo, "Don't worry I'll take good care of them."

Sanzo wanted to shoot him. Unfortunately he didn't have a gun stashed on him too, (because Hakkai was also looking after that), and had no choice but to face his new "teacher" again.

"Better?" he bit out.

"Yeah," Goku smiled, then came around to stand next to the board closest to Sanzo, "Now let me show you how this part works. You seem smart, so I'm not gonna explain _everything, _but, yanno, if you have a question, stop me."

Sanzo exhaled the smoke from his lips looking entirely uninterested, even if he couldn't _afford _to be given the nature of his lost bet. Hakkai earned himself another mental curse that probably put it in the tens of thousands Sanzo sent him the past week.

"Go on."

There was a pause, just a fraction of a second, before Goku finally lowered himself to the board. He wasn't used to someone who spoke in two-syllable sentences. Maybe that was just all the flirty girls getting to him, with their constant inane chatter, but that couldn't be it, because Goku and Gojyo talked just as much about just as little even _before _they started these lessons.

There was no explaining it. Goku just wasn't used to it, that was all.

"So, to start, you've gotta get your ass out to the lineup, right?" Goku rolled onto his side, looking over his shoulder to make eye contact with Sanzo. It was the only way to ensure he was listening. "You lay flat on the board, like I was, and paddle. Doggy paddle, free style, however you wanna think about it."

He flopped back onto his stomach, studying the waves rolling in. They were small and gentle, nothing to duck under, so he shrugged, "Once you're out there, you wait for the wave you want, then turn around and start paddling again. You wanna try to be right on the wave when it crests and you'll feel this... this forward push, and that's when you wanna stand up. So!"

Goku pushed up with his arms and snapped his legs forward, suddenly his feet were under him on the board, "You gotta pop up, as fast as you can. The faster and smoother you can do it, the better. This is what you gotta practice, 'cause trust me, doin' it on the sand is way easier than on the water."

...Yeah sure. The brat made it look stupidly simple. Sanzo seemed focused on the _stupid_ part because, holy fuck, _what _was so great about it that Hakkai wanted to see him do?

Watching the perky brunette do it wasn't so bad though. He had a nice body.

...For surfing.

"You want me to stand on the board."

Goku blinked and tilted his head back to catch Sanzo's eyes, again, "I want you to pop up. Lay down, pop up, over and over 'till you're quick at it. Like this," and Goku laid back down on his stomach, going through the motions of standing step by step to be as clear as possible. Hopping off to the side, he gestured at the board, "Now you try."

Sanzo didn't look like he was going to try.

"I can see why you guys like teaching the bikini bimbos."

Goku couldn't stop the almost strangled sort of groan low in his throat. Honestly, he should have expected what 'teaching' would be like when Squall had only hired them to distract girls that wouldn't leave Shiva's owner alone, but he had still thought they would end up with serious students more often than not.

He had been wrong.

"Don't lump me in with Gojyo," There was a pleading tone to the professional surfer's voice, "_please. _There's a reason I asked for the," his eyes raked Sanzo over from head to toe and back, to make it _extra _obvious who he was talking about, "_serious student, _because I really hate trying to teach and getting flirted with, instead. I love surfing; I wanna teach _surfing. _Is that really too much to ask?"

"I'm not _that_ serious. I only need to learn how to catch and ride one wave. That's it."

Goku raised a single eyebrow at the oddity of that goal, and pointed out the unfortunate truth of it all, "I guarantee you, that's more than they're trying to get out of this." He gestured to the girls behind him with his thumb. "But why just one wave? You look a little young to be working on a bucket list."

Sanzo's eyebrow twitched and he took a long drag before he finally had to admit it. _Again. _

"I lost a fucking bet to that asshole over there." He only dignified pointing out Hakkai with a vague tilt of his head.

…

Goku burst into laughter, loud and unrestrained. He wasn't upset; anything that got him a real student was appreciated, but, "You're _fucked." _He took a deep breath to quiet himself down, but gleeful chuckling and a wide grin refused to be reined in. He indicated the board between them with a playful gesture and amused eyes, "You might wanna practice that pop up, 'cause you can't catch a wave without it."

Well wasn't the brat just _cheeky. _Hakkai must have known-well of course he _knew, _they worked at the same fucking bar. _Shit. _Sanzo stubbed out his cigarette and looked at the surfboard as if it had crabs crawling all over it.

"I'm only as _fucked _as your ability to teach."

Goku shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest and confidently staring the blond down, "I already showed you how to do it. Unless you want me to _wrestle _you onto the damn board, I can't do any more."

Sanzo scoffed and shed his shirt, letting it land on the sand. He took a grand total of one step closer to said damn board.

"As if a shrimp like you could."

That was a nice show and all, and maybe Goku could have let the insult slide in a return favor for the eye candy, but he couldn't, because the situation was _begging _for it. If it was possible, his grin grew even wider, eyes clearly pleading with Sanzo to _give him an excuse, _"Wanna _bet _on it?"

Sanzo had one menacing finger at the ready for that one. Only because his gun wasn't currently on him.

"_Fuck you. _Now show me how to do this damn thing one more time."

Goku gave a pleased little laugh, even as he dropped back down and took the paddling position one more time. Hands on the rails, lift up, feet forward, stand. With a grand gesture, Goku stepped off of the board and made way for The Bitchy One, "Hope you were paying attention that time."

"The fuck do you care? Aren't you paid by the hour?"

Unfortunately, there was nothing left to beat around the bush with, so Sanzo finally walked up to the board. Then dropped. And then stood up again.

….What a stupid sport.

If his expression was anything to go by, Goku was enjoying this _immensely. _Why not? Real student, cute guy, fiery temper, and so far, interested in witty banter. This was a great day for Goku.

Did he mention real student?

"I don't think you want your feet like that," Goku spoke up suddenly, eager to grasp any excuse to instruct, "When you slide on tile in your socks, and don't tell me you never have, _everyone _has, whichever foot you keep behind you, you want behind you on the board."

"...Hn." Was all Sanzo had to say. He'd never been one for authority, except when it matched his own wants. It worked out pretty well with Lelouch, and _usually _Hakkai...

That was the last time he was betting with the bastard so casually. He hoped the pianist ended up with a sunburn.

Sanzo attempted the board thing again.

"Yeah, that looks right," Goku nodded with approval, squatting down in the sand to better watch Sanzo's hands and feet while he practised. As it turned out, it also gave him a better view of Sanzo's back, where a large, gorgeously stylized tattoo was drawn into his skin, "Nice shark."

It took Sanzo a confused moment to realize what Goku was referring to. He made it a habit not to leave his back exposed, in all senses, but that was impossible to avoid while lying stomach down on a waxy piece of foam.

All Hakkai's fault.

"It's not fake either." It was also probably the only memento of their previous boss that _didn't _piss him off.

"I didn't think it was," Goku answered in an awed tone. He really wanted to touch it. He wasn't going to, and he was absolutely certain it didn't actually _feel _any different from the rest of his skin, but Goku was the touchy type, and he wanted to touch it. "Looks like it's been there awhile."

"Since I was 11," Sanzo responded casually as he leapt to his feet.

"Holy shit," Goku was the speak-before-you-think type, too, "I was still terrified of flu shots when I was eleven. What are you, some kind of badass?"

The blond smirked. He'd given the cheeky brat too much credit in thinking he might have caught on to his comment about it being not fake. But maybe it was for the best Goku was blissfully unaware of the world beneath Despina's beachy paradise. Sanzo's job wasn't exactly anything to brag about, especially in the days when he'd been required to get the tattoo.

"Something like that."

Goku's thought train immediately derailed, because the blond looked _good _when he smirked like that.

It was convenient that he always had surfing to fall back to. The next time Sanzo was laying on the board, Goku realized his feet were laying in the sand, so he reached over and tugged one up, using his hands to encourage Sanzo's leg to bend at the knee, "You're really tall, so when you paddle out, you're probably gonna want your feet up like this to reduce drag, at least with a shortboard."

….

Sanzo didn't have many rules in his life that he stuck to, but perhaps he should have had one about _strangers _touching his feet. Holy fuck, did it feel... weird. He jerked his foot free and flipped onto his back to glare at his "instructor". Yeah, he bet the girls loved that part of the lesson.

"I'm not one of the bimbos. Don't get all touchy with me."

Goku sat blinking at the foot no longer in his hands, before he dug them into the sand and leaned over his student, in a _completely wrong _position, now, "It's a physical _sport. _There's _usually _touching." He couldn't help it if his expression got a little indignant. Sanzo was accusing him of behaving like Gojyo, _again, _"I'm not bein' inappropriate. 'Sides, _if _I was just comin' up with reasons to touch you, I'd make an excuse to get near your ass, not your feet, 'cause one's hot and one's _feet." _

It was immediately Sanzo's turn to look indignant.

"The fuck! You're checking out my ass?!"

"Not intentionally!" How had this conversation nose-dived so spectacularly? Goku hadn't even _done _anything, and this guy was taking offense at hypotheticals? On top of that, it was a hypothetical that called him _hot. _What was wrong with him? "But you're a good-looking guy. Deal with it!"

This information did a grand total of _nothing _to ease Sanzo's mind. Sure, Goku was a good-looking guy too, but that didn't mean that checking out anyone's ass, no matter how guilty either of them was, needed to be discussed. At all.

"I thought you wanted to teach and _not _fucking flirt!"

"I said _instead _of teaching, and you were learnin' pretty well," A slow, lazy smile tugged at Goku's lips while he clarified, "But getting to teach _and _flirt? With a cute guy who _isn't _brainless? That's like a _bonus."_

Okay, what the hell? So what, Goku was _interested _in him now? Somehow Sanzo had more than a feeling Hakkai _knew this would happen. _Shit.

"Listen here, asshole. I'm _not _here to flirt, I just need to catch one goddamn wave and then I'm done, so let's take care of _business_."

Goku took one hand out of the sand to gesture at himself, "_I'm _not the one who quit practising."

Sanzo _growled _when he flipped back over to attempt the stupid exercise again.

"Just keep your dick in your pants and your hands where I can see them."

Goku, pointedly ignoring the sexy growl, moved to straddle the nose of the board and laid his hands down flat in front of Sanzo.

"Better?"

"No." Just because Sanzo was feeling spiteful. He popped back to his feet, and crossed his arms over his chest. Like _hell _he was going to keep jumping around so the spikey-haired bastard could watch him like a piece of meat the entire time. "We're moving on to something else now."

Goku blinked and stared. Now, standing up on the board might not be the hardest part (Except for Fuuma), but it _was _the only part that had more to do with the board than the water. Even the standing had a whole second half that came just from being on a wave. If he _had _to pick something, though...

"Uh, maybe you can practice leaning? It's how you'd turn on a wave, but obviously you won't go anywhere on the sand."

….

The words 'No Shit' came to mind.

"I'm not catching any waves on the sand either."

Goku grinned.

"Damn. I _almost _wanna take you out right now _just _to watch you wipe out."

Sanzo glared.

"Me wiping out was a given the minute I stepped on the beach. Don't get so fucking excited."

An eyebrow raised.

"Does that mean you actually want me to grab a board and take you out?"

Sanzo kind of wanted to punch something.

"Anything's better than flailing out here in the sand."

Goku was up in an instant.

"Alright! Wait here."

Then he was running off to Shiva's.

...Which left Sanzo to his own devices. He scowled and wondered if he had enough time to head back to Hakkai for another cigarette.

When Goku came trotting back, it was with a longboard in his arms, tethered securely to his ankle, "I'm warning you now, there _will _be touching."

Sanzo was halfway through the cigarette and looking none too pleased with Hakkai when Goku came bounding back to piss him off even more. How convenient.

"I gave you my two conditions."

"Then let's go," Goku made his way to the shoreline, gesturing for Sanzo to follow, and tossed the board onto the water, "Lay on it like you were before."

Sanzo wasn't exactly in a hurry. He leisurely took a last puff of his cigarette and stared disdainfully at this new surfboard. The blond wasn't going to like this, he could _sense _it. But, again, it was better than flailing in the sand.

Too bad his gun wouldn't do shit out in the water.

When Sanzo was good and ready, he stepped up to the board, getting his first taste of the cold ocean because _of course it was fucking cold. _

Whatever. Onto the board he went.

"Here comes the touching," Goku warned in a resigned tone. All he could do was hope the fit Sanzo pitched wouldn't be quite as explosive as it could be. Pushing the board further out into the water, Goku finally hopped on, laying half behind, half _on top of _Sanzo, and began to paddle.

"Oi!" Sanzo struggled to flip over, cold water and _physics _be damned, "The hell are you doing!?"

"Paddling, which is what _you _should be doing," Although watching him attempt to flip over and roll right off the board might be hilarious, it wouldn't make Sanzo's fit any shorter, "I'm gonna have to do all the work on the wave; the least you could do is not make me do all the work paddling out, too."

"Don't try and give me that bullshit! You love this fucking sport and you're loving being up my ass while doing it!"

"I do love surfing," Goku agreed, voice carefully even while he tried to diffuse the blond bombshell on the front of his board, "and I'm sure I could also love your ass, but no, this _really is _the best way to paddle out when tandem surfing."

Sanzo really wanted to kick him. Or maybe Hakkai. Or maybe all the deities from on high that were laughing their asses off at his misfortune. The amount of humiliation he was having to endure from one little fucking bet was beyond ridiculous. And Goku was trying to tell him this was all _necessary. _

Alright _fine. _

Sanzo started paddling. By shoving as much water at Goku as he could while doing it.

"So surfing and being a perverted fucker go hand in hand. No wonder Hakkai set me up with this shit."

After sputtering and choking on the first wave of water that went down his throat in place of _air, _Goku coughed and ducked his head against Sanzo's back to prevent _that _from happening again, "Damn it, Sanzo! I need to _breathe _you know!"

"Che!" It was Sanzo's own will and _nothing else _that had him toning the splashing down to normal paddling, "Just know there's a lot more where that came from if you try anything funny!"

Goku smiled. He couldn't help it.

"This is _already _funny to me. I don't _need _to try anything."

Sanzo splashed him again.

More sputtering, but this time it ended with laughter. That was funny, and Goku had been asking for it, so it was fair. But just because Sanzo had spared him this time, didn't mean the blond _wouldn't _try to drown him later if he kept teasing relentlessly, so the professional let his laughter die and allowed silence to overtake them, leaving the sounds of the sea in its wake.

Until a few minutes later, when Goku couldn't take it, anymore.

"Your shark's even cooler up close."

….

Strangely enough, the comment _didn't _weird Sanzo out even more (Fuck, was he just _used _to it now!?) but he was still glaring over his shoulder.

"Keep it up and I'll introduce you to a real one."

"I've already met a real one, asshole," Was Goku going to be threatened systematically every time he spoke until he dumped the blond back on shore? "I'm a surfer. I'm out here every day. Sharks are _normal _here."

…...

Somehow the obviousness of that statement had never occurred to Sanzo.

"_Fuck _as if there aren't enough hazards to my safety out here. I don't see any bite marks on you though."

"That's 'cause sharks don't eat people on purpose," Goku snickered, "All the research says when they bite humans it's more about curiosity than anything. There's never been a true shark attack on this particular beach, anyway. Our native sharks are too small."

There was a pause, and Goku's smile widened.

"You were checkin' me out for marks?"

Sanzo was _not _having this conversation.

"No, I'm waiting for you to be done flirting so surfing can happen, you bastard."

"Relax, we're almost to the line up, and I'll have you know, I can flirt and surf at the same time." He wasn't sure he could stop, though, because he didn't _mean _to flirt, not really, it was just _happening. _Sanzo was hot, his attitude was sharp, and teasing him was _too easy. _

Goku _liked_ it.

He was temporarily saved from further accusations by the presence of a familiar surfer up ahead, "Hey, Fuuma! How's the water treating you?"

The volleyball player looked back over his shoulder before he turned around on his board, "It's been good! I'm actually managing to stand on these waves. The longer board seems to be working."

Sanzo did not share Fuuma's sentiments about the longer board.

"And you're going straight in to shore?" Goku paddled them to where Fuuma was waiting, with or without the blond's help, and sat up, finally removing himself from Sanzo's person.

"Yeah," Fuuma nodded, "But I _almost _completed a frontside bottom curve!"

"That's awesome!" Goku's smile reflected his excitement for the beginner's success, "Do you already know what went wrong?"

And here the star's smile turned bashful, "It was a backside wave."

Goku's laughter cut sharp through the air, but he wasn't making fun of his friend. Fuuma's smile told him he already knew just how obvious of an error that had been, and had already learned from it, too.

"As long as you get back on the board, whatever, right?"

"Right," Fuuma turned back around to eye the incoming waves, "What're you up to out here?"

"Gonna tandem with Sanzo."

….Yeah Sanzo really didn't like the sounds of that. Was it too late to paddle really fast back to shore?

Only if Hakkai wasn't there. _Watching. _Creepy bastard.

Fuuma's expression remained unchanged, "Are you gonna do any lifts?"

"Nah," Goku shook his head, "He's a student. This is to get him used to the waves. He wouldn't know any lifts."

Sanzo of course had no idea what the fuck they were talking about. He'd known Fuuma was a volleyball superstar, but not a surfing one as well. That didn't mean they were allowed to talk like they were _above _him.

"I'd know more if you actually taught me anything."

That had Goku laughing again, "Alright, I'll rephrase. He wouldn't _want _to know any lifts, and he's absolutely convinced that I'm a terrible teacher and he will learn nothing from me."

"Not about surfing." Because Sanzo learned _a lot _about what kind of priorities Goku had.

...And a little bit about sharks.

Goku shook his head and gestured to Fuuma, "You should avoid catching any of the same waves as us. We're gonna have a, like," he looked Sanzo over once, "_nine foot _radius of domino wipe-out effect. This kid's tall and he didn't think practicing standing was important, so we're gonna slide right off our board and if you're anywhere near us, we'll take you with."

….

Little shit was asking for it, wasn't he.

"I should have went with the other guy," was Sanzo's conclusion.

Fuuma laughed, because they were hilarious. And despite what Sanzo _just _said, Fuuma could tell they were actually getting along pretty well. At least, better than he would have been with Gojyo, who probably would have responded to the accusation of being a terrible teacher by shoving him off the board, surfing in, and making him swim to shore.

"Thanks for the warning, but I'm probably worse. You're gonna have to watch out for me just as much. Good luck with the lessons, though. I'm gonna catch this next one."

Goku watched as Fuuma turned around and caught his target wave, with lots of wobbling and arms out wide for balance, but he was _surfing _and that's all that mattered.

"Ready to give it a try?" Goku nudged Sanzo in the arm to get his attention, then started turning their board around, too.

Maybe if he'd been a _bit _pissier, Sanzo could have called Goku out on that unnecessary touching. But all he said was, "You say that like we're actually going to do it."

"We're going to _try," _Goku corrected, "Just do what I tell you, and maybe we'll be able to do this in under ten attempts. When I tell you to stand up, stand up, okay?" That said, Goku kicked his feet up and laid down on top of him, again.

"And how am I supposed to do that with you on my ass?"

"Obviously, I stand up first."

"Che. Fine."

The first attempt was over very quickly.

"Alright, Sanzo, stand up. Stand up! Sanzo, _stand u-"_

The third attempt got a little bit further.

"_Stand up! _Good. … Uh, lean forward, Sanzo. Sanzo? Sanzo, lean for-" He slid off the back of the board, and took Goku with him.

The sixth attempt was almost successful...

...except it wasn't.

The seventh looked promising, what Goku could see of it.

They were both standing on the board, they were both balanced on the board, Goku had them stable on the wave, and so for the first time, the fact that Sanzo was so much _taller _than Goku finally became a problem.

"Uh, Sanzo? Sanzo, I can't see."

"The fuck do you want me to do? If I move, you know we're going down."

"Can't you just... like, bend your knees a little?"

"Why the hell aren't you up front in the first place?!"

"'Cause I have to steer from the back! That's just how the board works!"

"What made you think this would be a good idea when I fucking tower over you?!"

"Well I just... I thought... I didn't think about it! But Sanzo, we might hit somebody like this!"

"And whose fault is that going to be!? You're supposed to be the goddamn teacher!"

"_Fine! _Then _I'll _fix it!"

"SHIT! What the _fuck _are you doing!? Put me _down!" _

"But I can see now! Also, _this _is a lift."

"Oh fuck you! I'm not an idiot, I can see _exactly _what this is!"

"Yeah, the easiest lift in tandem surfing! Told ya I could flirt and surf at the same ti-OW! _Shi-_"

And into the water they went.

The ninth never got on the wave.

They were still sitting up on the board in the lineup, waiting for a wave to catch when Sanzo saw it.

"Holy shit, it's a shark!"

Goku rolled his eyes, "It is _not-_" but then he saw it, too, "Oh, hey, it is."

Sanzo did not feel the same comfort that Goku did. To the point that he pulled his feet out of the water and onto the board. The board that he then promptly shoved Goku off of.

"You're the expert, you deal with it!"

"San-" And then Goku's mouth was full of water. That was uncalled for. It was a _tiny _shark, too. Like, maybe it could nibble off a few toes. ...Okay, _maybe _a foot, but that didn't mean it _would. _

Goku came back to the surface for air and gave the blond a _look_, "Sanzo, it's not gonna do anything."

"It's a fucking _shark," _Sanzo defended.

"Just a little one!"

"It still has teeth!"

"Aww, Sanzo," Goku's lips pulled themselves into a smug, but playful, smile, "Do you want me to save you from the itty bitty shark?"

Sanzo flipped him off again.

"Fuck you. I'll save myself while it feeds on your bleeding corpse."

The smile didn't even leave his lips underwater, when he was holding his breath while he sought out the shark. Poor thing didn't even seem to care that they were _there, _but Sanzo sure cared where _it_ was. Goku reached out and bopped it solidly on the nose, and the little shark veered violently off to the side, almost looked like it might turn around and come back, but swam away instead. Just like pulling on a swimming cat's tail.

Goku rose to the surface again and draped his arms over the top of the board, "Is that better, Sanzo?"

….

Did the little brat seriously just fend off a _fucking shark _for him? Well shit...

Sanzo might have discovered he respected Goku a little bit even if he hated him a little more.

He stared at the retreating shadow in the water a second or two longer to make _sure _it was gone, and not coming back with its friends, before returning his eyes to Goku.

"Yeah."

The tenth began with panic.

"Fuuma! What are you doing?!"

"Catching this wave!"

"But _we're _catching this wave!"

"So we'll ride it together!"

"I thought we were _avoiding _that!"

"What happened to the fucking nine foot radius?!"

"You're not _that _tall."

"The _board _is!"

...In the end, it was Sanzo's attempt to flip _both _of them off that put all three in the water.

Tries eleven through fourteen were thwarted largely by Sanzo's bitching. If Goku didn't know better, he'd think the man was coming up with excuses to dive into the drink.

"This has got to be the most useless fucking sport..."

Goku dragged the board back to him and sighed, "Please stop insulting the sport I've dedicated my life to, thanks."

"I will when you can prove otherwise."

"It's a lot more fun when you can stay on the board."

"_Fuck _the board. Give me a jet ski anyday."

"I didn't know you jet skied," His tone was lightly surprised and inquisitive, as Goku climbed back on the runaway surfboard, "We can do that next time. Now, get back on the board."

...What, they were planning things together now? How the fuck did that happen?

"Haven't we covered all the ways to fall _off _of it by now? Because that's that only damn thing I've learned."

"And a tandem surfing lift and a little bit about sharks."

Sanzo would not comment on the sharks.

"That's not getting me any closer to my fucking wave!"

"It's a _sport, _Sanzo. _Practice _is built-in! You don't get any better if you don't try again and again. That's just how it works!"

"I also don't get better if I don't know what the hell I'm doing! I'm just a fucking tag-along while you do all the work!"

Goku rolled his eyes, "I guarantee your body is unconsciously learning how to balance on the board, and you definitely can't steer if you can't _balance _first. Look at Fuuma!"

"I don't give a shit how your other students are doing! I'm not them!"

"You're right, you're _not _them. You're doing much _better. _So get back on the board and we can try again!"

"Don't fucking patronize me!"

Goku threw his hands into the air, "_How _was that patronizing you?!" Then he shook his head, "It doesn't matter. C'mon, _get back on the board." _

It was out of sheer defiance that Sanzo said, "_No." _

"What do you _mean _'No'?!"

"The hell do you think it means!?"

"I think it means you're giving up!" Goku turned the longboard toward the lineup and gestured once again for the blond to get on, "Sanzo, are you really gonna let the _water _beat you?"

…

The fifteenth attempt went miraculously well, so on the sixteenth, Goku decided to try something new.

This would either be amazing, or he would die by drowning, but Goku never weighed his options too heavily before he went for gold.

He got the board steady beneath them, made sure Sanzo was steady _on _it, then crouched down and dove his head between the blond's legs.

To lift him up on his shoulders, of course.

Sanzo ….didn't squawk, but it was the closest he would ever come to it in his lifetime.

"HOLY FUCKING HELL, WHAT ARE Y-How the _fuck _are you able to do that?!"

"I'm going to be snarky and say, _'practice.'"_

Goku wasn't allowed to be snarky when he was _between his legs. _

"You aren't doing a fucking thing to diffuse the relationship between surfers and perverts, you know."

"Yeah, I don't think I can with you," Goku and honesty were like peanut butter and jelly, or hot fudge and ice cream, or cookies and milk. They were natural together, but Goku would swear, if ever asked, that he was _still _behaving better than Gojyo would be, "Maybe if you _were _a brainless bimbo, I could be more professional. But it's _hard _when I actually _like _you."

…..

Sanzo didn't think his brain could handle that just yet, and it wasn't only because of the fact that from the moment they met, he hadn't given Goku a _single damn thing _to like about him. So he stared. Down at the face in his crotch, his hands gripping at wet spikes of brown hair for stability in spite of how wrong it was.

"So you stick your face in the junk of the people you like. Am I supposed to feel honored?"

"Honored? Nah," Goku would have shook his head if that wouldn't be incredibly awkward, "But I'd like it if you enjoyed yourself."

"...I'm here because I lost a goddamn bet. How much fun do you expect me to have?"

"With my face in your crotch? What kind of man _are _you?"

Sanzo tugged on the hair he was clinging to.

"I never asked for it to be there!"

"Consider it a gift, then! No thanks necessary, just moan appreciatively every once in awhile and I'll be satisfied."

…...

This was just... getting too weird for Sanzo.

"The fuck! Go to one of the clubs if you wanna suck a cock so bad!"

If Goku didn't know that tilting his head back would dump Sanzo backwards off the board, he would have tried to look at him, "Just what makes you think any cock would do?"

"Well you clearly don't have an issue with strangers, since we only met _today. _So go suck Fuuma off if beginning surfers are your kink."

Goku made a thoughtful sound, low in his throat, "...I think my kink is feisty blond assholes. Fuuma doesn't really fit. Are you trying to say you don't like me, or are you just being difficult?"

"_Like _you?" Sanzo repeated it like there was a taste in his mouth so foreign, "Well fuck, I didn't know we were dating now."

"We're not," It did not escape Goku's attention that Sanzo was _dodging the question, _"I'm saying we could be, if you'd quit being all, 'I'm too cool to get hit on and like it.'"

Sanzo yanked on Goku's hair again.

"Just teach me how to fucking surf and stop getting strange ideas!"

"Ow! _Damn it, _Sanzo!" There was only so much abuse his hair could ta-"That wasn't a 'No.'"

That also earned Goku another yank.

"Focus, dammit!"

Except that yank had been a little too hard, and a little too distracting, and Sanzo leaned a _little _too far when he did it, so Goku was a little bit late trying to fix it.

The splash when they hit the water wasn't little at all, though.

Goku broke the surface with a loud gasp. Sanzo was shit at untangling before they fell; Goku had totally just taken a knee to the face. He shook his head from side to side, ridding it of excess water as if it would make any difference at all.

When Sanzo came up for air, it was to add another condition to his list.

"No more lifts."

"What are you talking about?" Despite it all, the athlete's eyes were alight with excitement, "That was _awesome!" _

"That _was not _awesome!" Sanzo didn't know _what _that was, but having Goku between his legs, _wanting _to be there and blatantly wanting something _else_...

Shit, he did not need to battle attraction and arousal when he was having a hard enough time with water, board, and _balance. _

Hakkai was a terrible friend, that was all Sanzo knew.

"_No more lifts._"

Goku's expression was indulgent as he turned and gestured behind them, "But look how long we were on the board for. I think this is the furthest we've gone, yet!"

...Goku may have had a point, but that didn't make him right, and it didn't mean he was allowed to dive right back into his crotch dammit.

"We're not going to get any further if you keep getting all weird on me!"

There was a pause, and then Goku looked back at him, "Weird?"

Sanzo stared right back. He wasn't playing this game. "_Weird._"

He turned all the way around to face the blond, "Is it weird that I'm hitting on you or weird that you kind of like it?"

"It's all fucking weird!"

...

There was a pause before Sanzo added, "Don't act like you know what I like!"

Goku grinned, "I'm not acting."

Sanzo did not like that grin. But he didn't like where Goku was going with this even more.

"Fuck you! You don't know an-Nnmph!"

He hadn't anticipated Goku going right for his mouth. Then and there. In the middle of the ocean. Where they were supposed to be _not flirting. _

Sanzo bit him.

Goku moaned.

He leaned back from the kiss just enough to lock violet and gold. Maybe Sanzo didn't see it, but Goku sure did. The blond must have been blind to this sort of thing, because it was kind of obvious. They were the _definition _of excitement for the other. Life would _never _be boring if they were together. But Sanzo wasn't dumb; as soon as he stopped _insisting _on being blind, he'd see it. And maybe Goku could help by lifting the blindfold just a little.

He dropped his eyes to Sanzo's lips, the teeth he couldn't see holding him in place, then met those violets again. Goku may have started this kiss, but it was _Sanzo _who wasn't letting him go.

Lately it seemed Sanzo had a penchant for spectacular backfire. At the very least, in this particular case, he got some physical _good _out of it. For a brief moment, his world had been simplified, and attraction was winning out when his teeth slowly dragged across the captive lip before he released it. They were still so close, and Sanzo looked like he was just about to close the distance all over again when it hit him.

What. The. Fuck.

….

What the _Fuck!? _

Glaring, and the _tiniest _bit flushed, Sanzo roughly shoved Goku away wishing he had something to smack him with. Repeatedly. Because damn.

How dare the brat be a great kisser on top of everything else.

"What the fuck was _that!?_"

Goku went with the momentum, choosing not to answer right away because his mind was still foggy with a light dusting of lust, and drifted over to their board. He climbed back on, ran a hand through his hair... and that's when he decided to wink at Sanzo.

"Pretty awesome, I think."

Lot of help that was. The blond was not at all amused. Partially because his control almost slipped again when Goku winked at him.

Once more, Sanzo would not venture near the board.

"Is this some kind of fucking habit for you?"

Goku shook his head.

"Man, Gojyo makes _fun _of me for how little action I get. I just like you. You're doin' all sorts of good things for me, and I've got no reason to deny it. Except professionalism, but given how I got my job, I doubt that's really important."

While it _was _more information than before, this did not help Sanzo either. Dammit.

"So I need a new teacher."

"Gojyo might hit on you, just to send you back to me."

"Then maybe I'll just figure this fucking thing out myself."

"Stop saying things you don't mean and get on the board. It's gonna take awhile to paddle back out."

"_Hell _no."

"Why not?"

"Why do you _think_, you goddamn pervert?"

Goku narrowly avoided laughing when he realized what Sanzo was getting at, instead choosing to scoot forward on the board, "Alright, you can be in the back for the paddle out, if you want."

….

Was that supposed to be ...better? Sanzo gave Goku a long look. Purely observational, of course, even as water was dripping temptingly over sinewy curves...

Ahem.

Sanzo made his way closer to the board. At least in the back he would be in control, so long as his brain chose not to re-envision the same set up in the bedroom.

Bastard just _had _to kiss him, didn't he.

"Fine."

The seventeenth try ended shortly in the water. The fragile balance they had barely found was in pieces, but Goku was sure they could get it back.

"That sucked. Silver lining: we don't have to paddle out as far."

"Fuck this..."

Goku shrugged, "It's not _that _bad. We just have to get back on the board and try again."

Sanzo glared. Everything had been …..okayishly decent before they almost made out. Now they, or at least _he_, was all out of sorts.

"To wipe out twenty more times. We're back at square one."

"No, we're not." Goku insisted, as he climbed up onto the longboard again, "You know what to do, now. We just have to try again. So get back on the board."

Pushy little snot.

"No."

"No?"

"No."

Goku could fix this.

"What do you me-" Cutting himself off, Goku leaned precariously over the edge of the board and peered down into the water, "Hey, it's another shark!"

"Oh shi-" Sanzo didn't even finish before he was back on the surfboard. All limbs safely _out _of the water. "Where the fuck is it!?"

Goku peered a little bit longer, and then... "Oh, nevermind, it was just a shadow."

He laid down and started paddling. It was a good thing he was in front now, or Sanzo might take offense at his grin.

After the nineteenth try, Goku noticed that Fuuma had gone mysteriously missing, and he didn't remember seeing the other man swim back to shore.

But Sanzo was still bitching and it demanded attention, so Goku couldn't spend any time investigating.

At about try twenty-three, Goku flopped onto the board and groaned, "I'm _so _hungry! We've been at this so long and lunch was supposed to be _three hours ago!" _

Food... actually sounded kind of good to Sanzo after all this exertion. But hold the phone.

"I still haven't caught my damn wave."

"So you can try again tomorrow."

Somehow Sanzo knew Hakkai was smiling. He could hope that Lelouch would have an assignment for him tomorrow, even if that meant Sanzo having to call in the hit himself.

"Then let's get the fuck out of here."

Goku smiled. That sounded like a pretty good opening. All he had to do was get Sanzo to _not _ditch him the moment they were on land.

"You feel like pasta? I know a great place on the broadwalk that has more than just pizza."

That was harmless right? There was no unnecessary touching involved in eating pasta as far as he knew. Nor were there sharks.

Sanzo shrugged. "Yeah sure."

The smile morphed into one of those silly, uncontrolled, ridiculously _happy _grins.

It was a date.


End file.
